Chaotic Chaotix
by Palm-Top-Tsuki
Summary: A chameleon whose chivalry knows no bounds. A crocodile with money and music as his motive. A bee who is just as sweet as his honey. All of this adds up to be a twisted and confusing zoo exhibit that people pay 12.95 to see. Oh yea, it also makes a pretty good detective group.
1. A Past in Flames Chapter 1

**Authors' Note: **** Hi everyone! First thing's first, this drabble-ish story will be written by us TWO people, Ulquiorra D. Cifer and Tsuki-shining09. So yeah, we made this account for the two of us cuz you know, we are awesome that way and come up with good stuff together and...stuff. We might post chapters individually or co-write one chapter together sometimes, depending on the situation. We look over each other's stuff and you might notice different writing styles (not in the same chapter) but it won't be too bad. **

**Ah, and Ulquiorra D. Cifer wrote this first chapter (hope you like it) and Tsuki-shining09 edited. **

**-Tsuki-shining09**

**My god, this is probably the most time I've ever spent on anything. My first fanfic is probably smaller than this. - Ulquiorra D. Cifer**

**Disclaimer: All characters of _Sonic the Hedgehog _used rightfully belong to SEGA and/or Sonic Team. **

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_Crime is a problem only born from the making of Laws. Justice is pursued by the people who believe that there is right from wrong. When one finds that there is a connection between these two, they will stop at nothing to pursue that which goes out of their way to harm the lives of others. We find this motive in the eyes of heroes and heroines. But where does it start? It starts in the minds of young children who have not been corrupted by this world's darkness and unspeakable disasters._

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In a much undeveloped part of town a homeless man pushes a shopping cart, filled with bags of recyclables, clothes, and very little food, over an old, narrow wooden bridge. The heavy morning fog makes the man weary and chills him to the bone which doesn't have much more than skin to protect it from the elements. Halfway across the bridge he hears footsteps. As the sound becomes more defined he realizes someone is running towards him and he pauses. Out of the heavy fog comes an unrecognizable figure in a ski mask and it pushes the cart out of his way, dumping several plastic bags into the river below. The homeless man, caught off guard, falls to his knees. As he makes an attempt to get up a young, emerald colored crocodile shoots out from the fog running full speed in the direction of the masked figure.

"Get back here bastard! Sorry ol' mister!" The young reptile keeps running in spite of the weak man's need for help.

"Yeah yeah! Sorry mister!" A young honey bee flies overhead to catch up with his reptilian friend. The homeless man lies on the floor of the bridge, dumbfounded and confused as to what just happened. He finally manages to lift himself up with the hand rail of his shopping cart. His eyes light up to what he sees in his cart. On top of some soggy plastic bags, which should be up river by now, lies a chocolate bar.

"T-thank you" The old man looks around but sees no one to thank.

Around five blocks away, the young crocodile and the even younger honey bee trail the masked man as fast as their feet will allow them to. The bag making jingling noises doesn't seem to be slowing down the bandit. They come to a one way street with buildings on one side, equally spaced out, making dead-end alleys with gates leading to another street. The young crocodile's dark-orange eyes are barely able to make this out but he soon notices that this could work to their advantage.

"Charmy, now!" the young crocodile waves his white glove-covered hand in a circular motion and makes sure that the bee, Charmy, can see it.

"Roger that!" The honey bee's voice catches the attention of the masked man, still running to protect his identity. Charmy flies over him and blocks him from proceeding by flashing his stinger up. The bandit stops and tries to run back but sees the young crocodile quickly coming towards him. He looks to his right and sees an alley. There is too much fog for him to tell whether or not it leads somewhere else but he acts without the friction of his doubt and runs into the alley. The young crocodile smiles at the sight of his plan's success.

"What now, Vector?" Charmy was confused about his partner-in-crime's decision.

"You'll see" Vector smiles and Charmy sees that same flame of justice in his eyes that made him follow them in crime fighting. They close in behind the masked perpetrator who is, by now, looking for a way out.

"It's all over now, stupid! So just hand over the food!" Vector yells at the masked man who is clearly considering the tall gate as means of escape.

"Yeah, stupid! Just hand it over!" Charmy is one to emphasize all that his "big brother" says. Being only six, he still has no voice of his own. The masked man looks inside the bag but only sees bills of money and shining coins. He grits his teeth in anger. He pulls out a knife, usually used for survival but just as sharp as one intended to kill.

"I'm stupid? At least I had parents that wanted me!" The masked figure becomes more defined with every word he spoke. Charmy and Vector seem lost in thought. Sure his words bother them but so does his voice. He points the knife at the two children. They do not panic or tremble; instead, they smile and ball up their fist. Astonished, the masked man pauses and looks at them with irritation. Out of nowhere the bandit feels a jab on his back and falls to the ground, hitting his chin on the hard, cold concrete. The fog starts to lift as the sun comes out. While on the ground, the masked man is kicked in the face so hard by Vector that he is forced into an upright position on his feet. He loses grip of both the knife and the bag of money. Charmy gives a weak push but it sends him backwards. Instead of falling on his back he is propped up by an invisible object. The invisible being pushes him by his head to the ground, knocking him unconscious. Out of thin air, a young chameleon with bright yellow eyes appears.

"Whether or not we are wanted is beside the matter. You have stolen from a fellow orphan, how would you feel if we stole from you?" even though he is a child, his words are filled with conviction. The chameleon closes his eyes and gets lost in a memory he doesn't want to relive.

"_It's not my fault they died damn it! They couldn't fight for their life, not even for a daughter they're leaving behind. This place is for unwanted children. My parents loved us!" The boy ran out of the orphanage carrying his baby sister. All the young chameleon and the crocodile can do is watch with confusion while their own baby sibling cries._

"Espio!" Both Vector and Charmy scream in unison to wake a dazed Espio from his reminiscing. Vector has a very serious look on his face. They both are thinking the same thing while the young honey bee, who was only a year old, can only hover above the ground in silence. The sun rises right behind Espio and causes his shadow to engulf the unconscious "man".

"It only takes a couple words and we know exactly who this guy is…damn it" The chameleon gives a grunt of frustration and turns around, pulling out a quarter to use a pay phone and notify the police. He walks around the corner but Charmy tries to ask a question.

"W-well…who is he?" His tone is innocent enough but Espio keeps making his way to pay phone with various graffiti on it. Vector takes no notice of his chameleon companion but instead removes the mask of the one who lies unconscious.

"Tony Matrnai; Age: 22; His parents died five years ago leaving him an orphan at 17. Law says that you aren't legally allowed to be a guardian of any child until you're eighteen but when he found out that there was a possibility of someone else adopting his baby sister he took her and left for good. But, I guess he gave us a surprise visit at our orphanage's fundraiser."

"Why steal from the poor?" Charmy's dismal mood makes it clear how he feels. Vector knows he can't give an answer. Men today have too much pride. Even if one acts out for someone important, they put everyone else before them and will stop at nothing for their own well being. Stealing from orphans is only comparable to stealing from or harming a homeless man. Espio comes back and taps both of them on the back to motion them for a group chat.

"The cops are on their way but more importantly I called the orphanage and figured out the situation on Matrnai's little sister. It turns out _Lucy_, the little sister, will be sharing a room with us." Espio's tone does not change in any situation. Like a ninja, he is calm, cool, and collected. Hearing these words, Charmy's cheeks turn red and his balance is so off that he is forced to stand on the ground.

"B-but isn't Lucy the same age as me…and a girl?" The little honey bee has not made any friends besides Vector and Espio, so he certainly was not going to be comfortable around any girl his own age. Vector grins at the sight of the blushing bee.

"What's wrong Charmy? I thought you'd be happy sleeping with a girl your age" Vector laughs and pats Charmy on the back. The young bee's cheeks have lost their original color and are permanently red. Espio does not change his expression but he continues on their situation.

"There are but three beds in our room, and Charmy has had the biggest one since he was a child, so I'm afraid he will have to share his bed to accommodate Lucy's presence." One can not imagine Charmy's displeasure. Vector ignores this and keeps laughing. He puts his elbow on Charmy's shoulder and talks to him in a loud whisper.

"Hey Charmy, the orphanage is a little overcrowded as is so don't get any ideas tonight, huh?" The crocodile lets out a burst of laughter. Espio looks at a nearby shop's windows and sees flashing lights. The alteration between red and blue makes it clear that the police are here. A single police car comes up at a reasonable pace. There are a couple of dents and buffs on the car that tell stories of its age and past situations. A large man struggles to get the rusty door open. A look at the police officer tells the orphaned animals that he's not a morning person. He grunts and clears his crusty eyes. He sees the unmasked man and cuffs him from his position on the ground. The officer quickly tosses him with ease in the back seat of his police car. It's no surprise that no effort was needed. His body is skinny and frail like one who hasn't eaten his entire life. Charmy, Espio, and Vector might have shared a similar fate if their fundraiser money had not been recovered and thus, feel no remorse. So is the story of the ones who are left with no one to care for them. The officer makes several attempts before opening the door and getting in his patrol car. Espio is disturbed by the lack of communication so he decides to try and break some tension.

"Is there anything else you need, sir?" Espio shows respect only to some people and they usually have authority. The officer rolls down his window which takes around thirty seconds to do because of the condition in which the patrol car is in.

"Nope." The officer drives off without another word. Vector who was chuckling to himself just a moment ago now suddenly stops and looks at Espio.

"Hey, Espio, what took you so long? Me and Charmy here were almost going to be chopped to pieces!" Vector exclaims. Charmy looks at Espio too, not with anger, but with suspense.

"I was helping an elderly homeless man with some bags. I felt sorry so I gave him a chocolate bar without him noticing me." Espio explains this while his team mates look at him in relief.

"Oh so that man's a-okay" Vector and Charmy look behind Espio and sees a large cart coming their way. Espio turns his head too to see what is grabbing their attention.

"Oh, there he is now" Espio looks at the homeless man slowly walking their way. He makes his way past them but slowly walks by. He looks at Vector and then to Charmy. He pulls out a large cane from his large cart.

"Dumb kids" The homeless man grunts and hits the young crocodile's nose with his cane. Vector screams while holding his nose and flailing on the ground.

"What the heck, old man!" Vector clutches his nose even tighter.

"Yeah! Why'd you do that?" Charmy butts in with anger, holding his arms out as if to protect Vector.

"You too!" The old man hits the young honey bee on the head and knocks him out cold. The homeless man leaves, mumbling to himself about how kids these days don't know how to act.


	2. A Chaotix Crackfic

**Ulquiorra D. Cifer's**** Note**: I guess you could call this a filler since, writing the second chapter of A Past in Flames  is palm-breaking work. On a side note, expect Tsuki-shining09's contribution shortly :D

**DISCLAIMER**: All character's portrayed are registered trademark of Sega and Sonic Team.

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The young honey bee stood there, by Vector, who was listening to music with his headphones, amazed that such technology existed.

"A tracking device…", Charmy whispered to himself. Espio had bought them all tracking devices in case of an emergency. He took it off his wrist and examined the back of it. On the bottom of the piece of plastic, the letters made "Yorai Yahi Inc." The young bee had a lot of trouble reading but managed to make some sound out of the name. It still didn't make sense to him, however. He looked to the emerald colored crocodile, still tapping his feet to the beat of the music, oblivious to the rest of the world. Charmy still tempted to ask.

"Hey Vector, what's…" Charmy looked back at the device to read the first word. "…Yuri?" Vector paid no attention to his honey bee companion, but instead to his music.

Out of nowhere, a purple chameleon appears beside Charmy. He is not startled by Espio's sudden appearance, but by the manner of which he gripped his shoulder and turned him so that they were facing eachother.

"Charmy, yuri is something that you should never ever think, say, or do anything about. At the very depths of hell is where you will be if you so much as google search it! You hear me?!" Conviction filled Espio's words and struck the young honey bee in his heart.

"Y-yes sir!" He tried hard to hold back his tears of fear.

"Good, now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go buy groceries." With that, Espio took his leave and all that was left in the room were a bee and a crocodile.

Just like that, Charmy remembered the other word on the device: "Yahi". Just like the first one, he had difficulty reading it. He looked back to Vector and thought he would ask him in a louder voice than before.

"Hey Vector! What's…Yaoi?!" Charmy flailed his arms around to try and catch his attention. The large crocodile glanced at him with slight acknowledgment and faintly heard his words.

"W-wha? Oh yeah, just the opposite of yuri." Vector went back to tapping his feet to the beat of the music. Charmy thought it over. "The opposite of Yuri?!", he thought to himself. If yuri could get him into the depths of hell, imagine where yaoi could get him. If he was going to find out, he needed to use the internet.

"Can I use your iPhone, Vector?" The young bee asked in the same manner that he used with his previous question. The interruptions only made the reptile furious and he closed his eyes tighter.

"Why don't you just find the computer room?!" He knew all too that they had spent years trying to find his dream, but with no success. Charmy, however, was determined to find out what yaoi was. The bee flew out the door to begin his search.

"I know we've spent years tracking it down, and lost so much sleep but I've got to find it." Charmy looked straight ahead at a shop with a huge, lit up sign. He could barely make out the two words, "COMPUTER ROOM".

"Found it!" The bee cheered with pride. He flew across the street and opened the door. Much to his surprise, behind the tinted windows, there was a completely white room with a lone desktop computer in the middle. Nothing else was there but a chair in front of the computer. He went to go sit on it and turn it on. He pressed the enormous "on" button and a window popped up on the monitor. "WINDOWS 94 IS LOADING". The bee almost quit the entire thing out of boredom. The loading process took forever but finally it started. There was only one icon on the screen: "Internet Explorer" . Charmy clicked on the "Internet Explorer" icon and it opened up Google. Neglecting the fact that he had the exact spelling on his tracking device, he tried to spell it out of memory. On the search bar he typed the letters arranging: "yaoi". It was pretty astonishing that he found the computer room so he clicked the "I'm feeling lucky button".

Meanwhile, at the Team Chaotix base, Vector put his phone to charge. He remembered that Charmy left a while ago. Just to check on his little companion, he looked at his tracking device. Charmy seemed to be in a fixed position. "Impossible" he thought, "Did he actually find it?!" Vector ran out the door and followed the direction in which his honey bee companion was in. He looked up at the lit sign across the street.

"I found the Computer Room!" The emerald colored croc's eyes lit up with excitement and he burst through the tinted windows and into the white room, the computer monitor completely visible.

If anyone has ever said that crocodiles could not blush, then they are completely wrong.


	3. A Chaotic New Year!

**Ulquiorra D. Cifer:** HAPPY NEW YEAR from both of us! Let's all hope for a Chaotic New Year, because it wouldn't be any fun if it weren't!

**DISCLAIMER:** *Insert Legal Stuff Here* All characters portrayed are rightful property of their respective owner(s).

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A purple chameleon sits on a branch watching, waiting. He senses someone is watching him but moves not an inch. He can't stand the suspense or the emptiness of his stomach any longer. He sees his target and lashes out. His prey dies and the chameleon devours him whole with only his tongue.

"Cool! Hey, Espio, look!" The young honey bee motions for Espio to come see the chameleon on exhibit. The ninja closes his eyes in disgust.

"The nerve of some animals!" Espio proceeds to grab a piece of popcorn from a bypassing child's popcorn bag with his tongue and eats it whole. The Zoo looks like a bunch of clusters of light in darkness from above. Only the animal exhibits are given light and everything else is hidden.

"C'mon Espio, a New Year's Zoo trip isn't bad." Vector takes his eyes of the reptile on exhibit only to see another reptile. "We got a great deal on tickets and Charmy's always beggin' to come here." At these words, the stressed chameleon relaxes a bit and so does Espio.

After they finish looking at the chameleons, they make to go to another exhibit but are abrubtly stopped by a well-dressed man with round glasses and his hair slicked back. His grin is of pure happiness as he walks towards Espio who is right next to the chameleon exhibit. He is almost scared of this man's grin and begins to question him.

"Who ar-?"

"My, oh my! How inceptuious! How wonderfluitive! Both of your presences make the eye and mind synchronize! SYNCHRONIZE!" The man interrupts Espio and clasps his hands in admiration. "Sydney Chronfiand, Zoologist. May I just say that you two chameleons are the very image of evolution itself! Out with the old, and in with the new! And on what better day than New Year's Eve? Oh!"

The purple chameleon has an indifferent look while Espio look interested. The honey bee and emerald crocodile feel mutually and listen in on their conversation. A child comes by and looks at the chameleon exhibit, his eyes wide-open with a child's curiosity.

"Mr. Chronfaind? Why do we celebrate New Year's?" Charmy suddenly butts in to Espio and Sydney's conversation. All of them look at Charmy in surprise. In fear the little bee tries to defend himself. "I just thought because…you know…you're smart and all…" His saddened face only makes the zoologist feel compassion. He puts a soft hand on the honey bee's shoulder, and looks at him with a welcoming face. His eyes suddenly open wide.

"Heavens me! It's a talking bee! Evolution is fabuloustic, just like New Year's! Look here my little physics breaker. We celebrate New Year's because-" Mr. Chronfaind is interrupted by a blackout. Everything goes dark and no one says a word. A world of nothing ensues everything as a chill flows through the air.

"_Be patient and wait for your chance at your prey. Especially since he's so cute!"_

A loud child's scream is heard. No one can see anything but they know blood has been splattered. The clouds leave the moon and an eerie luminescence puts a spotlight on a shadow with red liquid coming from it. The lights turn back on and finally all and nothing is clear. A young boy huddles up on the floor clutching his chest to try and stop the blood flow. A pool of tears and blood form beside him. The group all crowd around the boy and Vector's detective instincts pick up as he sees a shattered chameleon exhibit.

"Who did this to you?" The crocodile kneels down beside the boy

"Stand back everyone, I can help this unfortuous child!" Sydney tends to the boy with medical assistance. After the boy's wound is bandaged up, he uses his blood stained arm to point at what lies in the spotlight of the moon. Blood drips from his fingertip and on to the ground. It flows all the way down to where the chameleon is. She takes a swipe at it with his long tongue.

"_Delicious" _

Charmy points with the boy and pats Espio to get his attention.

"Over there! Look!" The young bee points to a purple chameleon with red blood covering its lips like lipstick. She winks at Espio and runs off. The ninja shows that he has instincts too and chases after her.

The chameleon is small, but fast. Espio finds it hard to keep up with her in the darkness. She senses his presence and smiles a sharped tooth grin.

"Oh, I never imagined a cutie chasing after me." She laughs as she runs, easily keeping up with Espio's ninja speed. He feels chills go up his spine and almost throws up.

"Who are you?" Espio soon finds himself chasing her in to a forest. He hears her voice echo through all the trees.

"Inspia, sweety, now don't go on forgetting it!" She can be heard rustling through the trees. She comes up straight above Espio and grins. The ninja spots her and starts running at high speeds and leaves start to fly all around. He makes a leaf tornado and it keeps her up in the air.

"There!" Espio takes out a ninja star and throws it straight up the eye of the tornado. This only makes Inspia laugh more. She catches it with her tail and throws it back at him lodging it in his right shoulder. He flinches, but only for a second. At the sight of this, Inspia makes to get out of the whirlwind.

"Don't you know to be delicate with a lady?" She fully escapes and looks at Espio head on. He looks at her, making full eye contact under the full moon.

"Why did you do it?" He takes of the ninja star from his shoulder and saves it for later use.

"How else could I impress a hunk?" She gives him a little wink. He throws up blood and a little piece of popcorn. She seizes another opportunity and jumps up high in the air. Espio follows her and they are both visible to all of the zoo from either side of the moon. In this instant all seems frozen.

Back at the chameleon exhibit, Vector, Charmy, and Sydney Chronfaind watch the spectacle. Mr. Chronfaind steps forward.

"Charmy, my boy. New Years is celebrated to recognize the old and look to the future. Much like evolution, it looks at what is and makes improvements. And, well…with a little faith we can make each year much more fantastibular than ever before!"

Inspia and Espio cross the moon, cloaked, making themselves invisible. She sees him pull out his stained ninja star.

"What passion! Oh oh it makes my heart melt! Embrace me baby!" She charges at him full speed and so does Espio.

The moon appears to cry blood.

The purple chameleon falls out from the sky, defeated, but not dead.

"I'm going to have your babies!" A voice that trails off can be heard and Espio gives a little smile of relief.

_Happy New Years_


	4. A Chaotic Christmas Special

**Before Note: Hey guys! It's Tsuki this time! I been working on this (late) Christmas sepcial fic for days now, I finally got it done! This had nothing to do with the other chapters, just a little drabble of its own. Hope you like it! Expect the OOC-ness!**

**-Tsuki-shining09**

**Disclaimer: Any _Sonic the Hedgehog _characters used all rightfully belong to SEGA and/or Sonic Team.**

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Charmy had never celebrated Christmas, heck, he didn't even know what it was. Being an orphan for as long as he could remember, there was never anyone there for him to even care in showing the kid how to celebrate and enjoy the holiday. It was only when he was about to get beaten to a pulp after being caught stealing some bread that his short life had made a drastic turn. He remembered perfectly how the baker's arm had suddenly stopped in midair as he had flinched, waiting for the pain. A purple chameleon revealed itself to have stopped the hit and a green crocodile had come up behind the man and grabbed him by the collar, giving him a harsh push into a cart of fresh bread.

"What were you thinking, harming a child? You're such a sorry excuse for a man." The reptile had said coolly.

After the baker had said nothing and gone back to work, both reptiles looked at the bee with eyes of concern. Once they figured out that he had no place to go, they decided to take him home with them, not finding it right to leave him alone on the streets. Being such a young child, he got attached to his new friends quickly, and his friends getting attached to the honey bee quickly as well.

Charmy loved it.

It was in late November when he had seen it. He was clumsily flying along in a thick winter coat due to the cold, windy weather with Espio and Vector along the sidewalk after doing some very much needed grocery shopping. He tried to help with the luggage by carrying a bag full of bread, his tiny arms barely making its way around the thick mass. As he tried to look over the bag to see where he was going, he couldn't help but notice the bright colors that radiated from one of the shop's windows. The honey bee had halted in front of the window and stared in curious wonder.

A tree. But not just a tree, it was some sort of pine tree that had a triangle shape to it, which was oddly decorated with numerous varied, colored lights and small objects, such as round ornaments and tiny bells. A radiant yellow star stood at the upmost point of the tall plant, giving even more light to the whole structure. There were also many stars, candy shapes, and some strange red socks hung up on the wall behind it. Toys of all kinds were placed at the bottom, along with boxes wrapped up in bright colored paper and bows.

"Come on, Charmy. Don't stay behind, it's getting even colder and we should get home as soon as possible." Vector had called back as soon as he noticed the absence of the buzzing bee.

The five year-old looked over at his green companion with little intention of moving. He wouldn't leave until he knew exactly what that tree was meant for. "What is this, Vector?" He questioned while directing his gaze in the direction of the window. The detective raised a brow.

"A Christmas tree."

A pondering gaze from the child.

"Christmas…tree? What's it for?"

The sudden realization washed over the green one in large waves.

Of course.

They had only taken him in a few months prior, and so he had probably never had the chance to even know what surprises this time of year held. This was the first time the kid would be able to celebrate the holiday season.

He couldn't help but feel bad.

Not knowing how to respond to that question at the moment, he instead called back, "We really need to head back now, and I'll tell you all about it when we're home."

The answer seemed convincing enough. "Ok!" And as if nothing had happened, Charmy buzzed forward without hesitation. Vector chuckled at how easily the bee had made his decision.

Once home –and once all the groceries were put away nice and neat in the kitchen at Espio's command (he was always one to keep order in everything) – the hyped up child impatiently waited for the explanation his friend had promised him. He buzzed up and sat on the crocodile's nose as said reptile came into the room.

"So are you gonna tell me now? Are ya, are ya?"

As the young detective nodded a 'yes' and sat down on one of the soft cushions they kept in the living room when they had a movie night, he so suddenly became aware that he yet had no idea how to explain such a holiday as Christmas to such a young child.

"Well…" he played with the gold chain around his neck with his thumb and shook his head a bit to indicate the passenger on his nose to take seat somewhere else, "Christmas is a holiday that many people celebrate by the end of the year, on the 25th of December to be exact."

Charmy looked at him expectantly, having pushed and sat on a cushion in front of Vector so he could hear everything he would say.

"Um," the green one really hoped Espio was there, he always figured out how to solve matters in a short amount of time. Where was he anyways? Meditating again? "On Christmas, there is this man in a red suit and hat, he has a white beard and seems pretty fat, who brings presents to all the kids in the world, including you, that have been nice and good throughout the year." Charmy's honey colored eyes sparkled.

"Oh cool! Really?"

He grinned, finally getting the hang of how to explain the topic. "Yes really. No one has seen him, but it's true. He will usually land his flying sleigh, pulled by reindeers, on the roofs of houses and bring a big bag filled with toys down the chimney with him and leave some under the Christmas tree."

"That thing I saw in the window outside?" The child put a finger on his lip, recalling the bright decoration.

"That's right, and I also want to let you know another thing. Christmas is a special time of year where you also appreciate what you have and are free to express how much you care for the people you love. Don't take it all for granted, Charmy, many people and kids can't celebrate for unfortunate reasons." Vector would admit he was a bit materialistic sometimes. He had begged Espio to get him a new pair of headphones, after his beloved ones had broken by getting sucked up by their hungry vacuum, the previous holiday season. His wish hadn't been fulfilled, but he was still equally happy when he received the newly released book he had been waiting for. Yes, there was times where all he wanted was, well, to get all the things he wanted, but he knew his limits. So, he couldn't help but get annoyed whenever he saw a spoiled brat on the street producing a tantrum because their parents wouldn't buy them what they wanted. It was so pathetic to see a selfish act like that. He and Espio both tried their best to get their new friend what he wanted, but it was hard, since they were always having some trouble paying the rent, yet he was glad the bee wasn't one to make scary tantrums. Charmy was always happy with what he had, all he really needed was someone to play with him, no material things. The kid was so sweet.

Vector wanted to keep it like that.

The child nodded timidly, understanding part of the concept his friend directed at him for the most part.

"There are a lot of other fun things that are done, too, but how about you learn all about them once we do them?"

A face of pure happiness.

"Oh boy, oh boy! We're celebrating Christmas!" The honey bee flew up in excitement and buzzed circles around the crocodile. The green one smiled too, proud to have made the child's day.

"Not bad, considering you never were able to explain something to a kid without giving up in frustration."

Vector almost jumped out of his seat, immediately looking for the source of the voice. Hints of purple could faintly be seen at his side, and the figure soon took back its original color, having been leaning on the same cushion the reptile had the whole time.

No matter how long he had been living with the chameleon…

Espio _really_ needed to quit taking him by surprise like that.

Just as he was about to exclaim his annoyance at his purple friend, said friend looked at a certain direction and gave a genuine smile. Following his gaze, he spotted the little one, who was flying in circles and doing midair flips, extremely excited for his first holiday.

Yeah.

He had to smile too.

Not wanting to waste too much money on a Christmas tree each year, the purple one had gotten his hands on a nice artificial one a while back. It was in good shape and just as usable as a real tree. They took it out of the attic along with all the other decorations they had been using for years. Once the tree was up with its white lights spun around it, Charmy was handed a box of ornaments, and all three of them hung up the decorations with pleasure. Having the ability to fly, he was able to reach the higher parts of the synthetic plant with ease, and got to stack the gleaming star at the very peak of it. His eyes gleamed just as bright as the artificial lights did, proudly looking up at the job well done. They also decorated their window with lights and window stickers. For other people to see and enjoy, as Vector had put it.

Not only that, but they had made cookies to share with the neighbors. Well, Espio made them, since he wouldn't trust Vector in the kitchen even if his life depended on it. Oh! And they had a few carolers come by, and Charmy was tempted to sing along with ever song they sang. So many things they did, the bee enjoying every single one of them.

It was finally Christmas Eve, the day the child had been anxiously waiting for. But it didn't seem so fun now.

Vector had been called in suddenly for a quick job assignment.

_"I promise to be back by midnight, I wouldn't dare miss our first Christmas together, ok?"_

It was 11:15. Where was he! He promised!

The bee sat, bored, on an armchair. The fire place was burning strongly, warming up the cold room. How would Santa go down the chimney if the fire was going? Wouldn't he get burned? He shrugged absentmindedly.

Espio came in the room with a plate full of cookies and a few cups of milk, setting them down on the coffee table.

"He'll be here, don't worry about it," sensing the kid's distress, he tried his best to comfort him. Charmy didn't say anything, and kept on playing with his Santa hat which was found in the attic along with all the other Christmas things, his name written on the white part in golden glitter. The chameleon sighed and watched his little companion, sitting on the recliner, a black and yellow spot on the large red cushion.

Vector better make it on time.

He remembered how enthusiastic the honey bee had been the previous weeks, as they prepared for this night. If Vector wasn't there, it would all go downhill.

Truth was, the kid had gotten really attached to the green detective. Not that he didn't like Espio (he always came to the ninja when he wanted to play a game), it was simply that, well, Charmy idolized Vector. It was natural. Vector always made him laugh, played with him, comforted him when he was hurt in any way. Vector was the first person Charmy went to. He was the first person there for him when nobody else was. He was completely attached like any kid his age would. So, if Vector didn't make it by midnight…

It would completely crush him.

That being said, the purple reptile looked at the clock.

11:40.

A shaky sigh.

The chameleon offered his friend some cookies, which were taken without so much enthusiasm.

"What if he doesn't make it, Espio?" He whispered, keeping his gaze down on the soft fabric of the couch. Yet, he then raised his gaze, antennae bouncing up as he did this, to meet that of the ninja's. The honey colored orbs soon watered, letting a few tears slip by.

Oh dear.

The purple one put two hands on the small shoulders.

"If I promise you one thing, I promise you this: Vector would _never_ let you down. You got me?" The tears stopped. That was good, at least.

11:50.

"You got that right!"

Both figures jumped and looked toward the door.

"Vector!" Charmy immediately buzzed into the air and shot into the direction of his friend, who was finishing putting his coat and scarf into the closet, but who received the little one with open arms.

Espio, from his spot, watched the scene unravel. He sighed in relief and joined them moments afterwards.

Thank god.

The next morning, both of the young adults groaned in exhaustion. They had never set any rules around the house for the honey bee, but they would have to now.

"Quit flying around the house! You're gonna break something!" Espio called out as the hyper kid shot through the air, a new, polished black helmet on the bee's head.

With that helmet, Charmy wasn't afraid of speed anymore.


	5. A Past in Flames Chapter 2

**Ulquiorra D. Cifer:** Yosh, this is the second chapter to "A Past in Flames". In case you guys get confused with all the other stuff being uploaded, which has next to nothing to do with this series. _Enjoy_

**DISCLAIMER:** None of the character portrayed here are owned by me. All rights go to their respective owners._  
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The sun shines bright overhead giving everything optimal visibility. Children play hopscotch and jump rope on the sidewalks right next to men in counterfeit fancy suits giving a crooked smile to anyone who walks by. Schoolgirls blush and whisper a "hello" to the violet chameleon smiling at the tranquil area. Espio gives a nod in response and the young girls giggle in nervousness. A rather tall, emerald colored crocodile trails his friend, clutching his nose with one hand and carrying his honey bee companion with the other. Vector looks at Chamy, who is knocked out cold and shows no signs of waking any time soon. The frustrated reptile's arm begins to quiver from holding his unconscious friend so he looks at his partner-in-crime, who is leisurely walking, giving waves and nods to fantasizing school girls.

"Why can't you hold Chamy, Espio? I'm the one who's injured here!" Vector shows his distress by emphasizing his last statement.

"If I held a cute little honey bee, I would attract a lot of attention. However, if you held him, it balances out. Besides we're already here." Espio advances to open the gate for his friend.

Past the fence lies an old but very large house. Paint is chipped off in some areas but for the most part looks acceptable. The view inside through windows on either side of the entrance are blocked by matching drapes with humming birds and roses forming a pattern on them. The lawn is kept in good condition with but a few dandelions to spoil it. The chameleon quickly undergoes a change of attitude to meet his elders. He opens the door and an entirely different world is brought to a dim light from a lamp in the center of the room on top of a nicely polished table. One look and one might suggest that very old people live here. In one corner, toys litter the floor which should be in a giant box simply labeled, "TOYS" right next to them. An old Television, so old that one has to turn knobs to operate it, sits on the opposite side of the room. No one is to be seen, but the chameleon ignores this and leads Vector to their room to put Charmy on his bed. They walk upstairs into a large hallway with many doors on either side. Espio opens the door leading into their room and flicks the switch. There are but three beds in the medium sized room. A large one, Charmy and Lucy's, a smaller one, Vector's, and the smallest one, Espio's. None have matching sheets or pillows, but they work. Huddled up in the far corner of the largest bed, is a tiny girl in a light yellow dress. Her silky blonde hair covers her face. Vector sets down Charmy's unconscious body right next to her. He sets his eyes to her, who is clearly awake but trying to hide it.

"Your groom is here, M'lady" Vector's nose pain is replaced by a large grin.

"W-wha-?" She lifts her head up with a dazed look across her face. She fashions her hair so that her youthful, innocent face can be seen. She looks like any young girl should, with one exception. She scrambles to get her hair to cover it but Vector has seen more than enough to erase his crocodile's grin.

"You've got nothing to hide, squirt." Vector rarely shows any trace of being serious but for this instance, he will make an exception. Under her hair, a long scar runs down from the top of her forehead, through her eyelid, down to her cheek. She returns to the same huddled position and says nothing.

"Ya wanna talk? Lucy?" Vector shows sympathy with a soft voice and heartfelt eyes. She keep to herself. Seeing as how he wasn't going to get her to talk, he left to get help from Espio to prepare some breakfast for her.

"You coming, Espio?" Vector looks at a small crevice on the tiny bed. Out of nowhere, the chameleon appears from the bed and follows Vector downstairs.

The two were left alone. Lucy, now less weary, took a look at the knocked out honey bee. Drool runs from the side of his open mouth as he gives light breaths. Her curiosity influences her actions and she looks straight at him with her head hovering over his, not caring that she was exposing her scar. Lucy's cheeks get a little rosy and she lets out a little chuckle. In this instant Charmy's eyes flare open, his pupils small. The first thing he sees is a girl hovering over him and he lets out all of the oxygen in his lungs in a huge scream. Not a second later does the timid girl scream in unison. Vector and Espio can be heard running upstairs.

"We just washed those sheets, damnit!" Loud steps pounding up the stairs draw nearer as the synchronized screaming continues. Vector picks both of them up by the collar and their screaming stops. He waits for Espio to walk in. As the chameleon steps in, he looks at both of them with an indifferent gaze.

"Can't both of you tolerate a new existence? Get used to eachother, now!" He strikes a parental pose at both of them and they take their leave, once again, leaving Lucy and Charmy alone.

The tiny girl huddles up in the corner, as if to exclude herself from reality. The one window in the room in penetrated by sunlight and it reflects of her blonde, silky hair. The young bee can feel his heart beat rising. After a long time of them just sitting there, he sums up the courage to utter one word.

"Ch-charmy" His legs are shaking violently and her very presence sends chills up his spine. She hears the softness in his voice. She, surprisingly, finds herself responding to his soft voice. She lifts her head up and utters her name quietly, being extremely careful that her hair is covering up what she wants to. For half a second they stare at each other. Charmy has broken a border no one has been able to.

Day quickly admits defeat to a night lit by a full moon. All over the house, children are sleeping quietly. Even the mice have retired after a long day of staying out of people's sight. Nothing can be heard except for a crocodile's loud snore. Charmy sleeps at the far end of the bed in fear of coming in to contact with Lucy, who isn't there. Downstairs, in the kitchen, a little girl struggles and fidgets around with her eyes closed.

_Everything is on fire. Wooden support frames that are supposed to keep people safe, fall down creating a Russian roulette of flames. A man in a purple suit holds two heads with both of his hands. He has a sheath meant to hold a medieval double edged sword. He drops both heads down and they roll beside the blonde girl huddled up in the corner. The flames conceal any facial features. However, the man in the purple suit smiles and his perfectly white teeth reflect the light given from the surrounding fire. All the girl sees is a sinister, smiling shadow. He reaches for the handle of the sword in the sheath. The smile only gets bigger._

"_I thought Tony would have been loaded…hehehe who knew the "badass" still lived with his parents. To think, I'm working for him…well, this should eliminate any distractions." The girl can only watch him bring out his sword. It shines, but not as much as his evil grin. "Sorry sweety, hehehe. I'll make this quick."_

_He lifts up the sword high._

"No! No! No!" Lucy still struggles for her memories to stop strangling her. She faintly hears a voice above her silent screams to herself.

"C'mon lovebird, shouldn't you be in your nest?" Vector holds out a cup of milk to the girl's tear-stained face. "It always helps me get to bed, so drink up." The crocodile's whisper is still rough and strong. Lucy still clutches the glass with both of her hands, shaking violently. She continues to whisper to herself under her breath. The reptile can hear her, but it doesn't make any sense to him.

"They didn't burn. They didn't burn. They didn't burn" She keeps both of her hands on her glass of milk as if her life depends on it. Vector can only stare in realization. He gulps out of nervousness. He can not believe his non-existent ears.

On the other side of town, inside an abandoned sponge factory, two men sit across from each other at a chess table. One of them is concealed completely by shadows. The visible man moves his piece next to the opposing king piece.

"Your boss-or king is gone…Chackmate, I win." He takes a relaxed pose and leans back in his seat. The man concealed in darkness smiles. The light of the full moon reflects light off his teeth and he becomes a sinister, smiling shadow.

"Is that so? Hehehe…What do you thing the pawns will do about this, after all you are in my territory. Just because you cut off my head, doesn't mean I won't stand back up to do the same." His smile only gets bigger.


End file.
